


All I Long For

by hestherewithme



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, crisscolfer, crisscolfer fanfiction, dumb boys in love, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:25:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hestherewithme/pseuds/hestherewithme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was written for the CC version of the Klaine Summer Challenge. Each chapter is based on a word prompt. Originally I planned for each chapter to be an individual ficlet, but they somehow fell together into a long fic. </p><p>Just for reference, Chris and Darren will be the same age throughout this verse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Word Prompt - Park

After confirming Darren would be looked after for the rest of the day, Cerina let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t that Darren was troublesome. He was just hyper. After Chuck she and her husband believed two kids wouldn’t be so different from one. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Darren was a whirlwind. In the best way possible. She loved her baby boy to bits. 

But if she was honest, she just needed a break.

* * *

After leaving Chuck at a playdate, she drove to her niece’s place. Well, Alana was Bill’s niece, but she was closer to Cerina than her uncle.

Cerina parked outside the small brick house and took Darren out of his car seat.

Darren had barely put up a fuss when he noticed the entire plethora of toys in the living room, visible as soon as the door opened. He ran inside without looking back at his mother even once.

Alana was a sweet girl and she loved taking care of Darren, a task Cerina was more than happy to give to her.

“Thank you so much for doing this.”

“No problem, aunty C. Would you like to come inside for some juice? Tea.”

“No no. I have to get going. I’ll be back by four. You have the numbers to reach me at?”

“Yes,” Alana replied.

“Bill’s work number?”

“Yes, aunty.”

“Okay. No candies or cookies for him or he’ll be bouncing off the walls.”

“Understood,” Alana said, nodding firmly. She looked back at her tiny cousin and called out to him. “Darren. You wanna say bye-bye to Momma?”

Darren ran as fast as he could right into his mother and hugged her legs. She bent down and gave him a kiss on either cheek. “Now are you’re gonna be a good boy?”

“Yes.”

“Promise?” she emphasized.

“ _Promish_ ” Darren said, doing his best to copy his mother, and sticking out his pinkie finger for good measure.

“Is it okay if I take him to the nearby park, aunty?” Alana asked just before Cerina left.

“Of course,” Cerina said, handing over her son’s bag. “Just make sure you keep him out of trouble.”

“I’ll try my best.”

* * *

Unfortunately, Darren had other plans.

He wasn’t quite four years old yet, smaller than most boys his age, but that couldn’t stop him. He was always determined to make an impression no matter where he went. Mostly was receiving praise and coos from elders when he sang along to every Disney song possible.

It wasn’t as though he did it on purpose. Darren was just one of those kids. Who grasped the attention of every person around him regardless of where he was, or who he was around.

* * *

Today his older cousin took him to one of his favorite parks.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t Darren’s favorite place, but Jackson from her math class was always hanging around there and it was a good of a place as any.

She decided to lift Darren onto one of the secure swings and push him high enough to give him joy, yet just enough that he was still safely under her control. But Darren was soon bored of the swing and wanted to go to the sandbox.

Alana tried her best to deviate Darren from that. She never liked sandboxes and was disgusted by them. She’d seen a nanny cover up a soiled diaper in one, and could never look at one the same again.

As she tried to direct Darren’s attention to the merry-go-round on the other side of the playground she realized Darren wasn’t listening to her.

He had just spotted a group of kids, and that was enough of a distraction for his brain.

He ran up to the crowd to see what all the fuss was about. Apparently, there was a dog there. And although the owner was careful not to let any of the kids too close, he had his canine companion perform a few tricks to entertain his new audience of toddlers.

Darren walked up near one of the kids who was dressed in a red polo shirt, tucked into a tiny pair of blue shorts. Alana loved it when people dressed their kids well. It automatically made them ten times more adorable than they already were.

Darren noticed that this kid standing right next to him had a blue power ranger action figure in his hands.

Darren had a blue power ranger! Clearly, that must have been _**his**_ , and this kid, whoever he was, must have taken it.

So Darren did the only logical thing that came into his mind. He slowly snuck up behind the boy and snatched his toy back.

Alana noticed almost a second too late and she expected a huge tantrum to be thrown right in the middle of this park. Her worry only multiplied because she knew one kid crying was bound to have a domino effect.

Before she could say anything to Darren, astonishingly this child just looked at her younger cousin and quietly said, “That’s my power ranger.”

To which Darren confidently replied, “No. It’s mine.”

“My dad gottit for me.”

“My mommy goddit for me.” Darren insisted.

This really seemed to confuse the sweet young boy that Darren had stolen a toy from. One which was still in Darren’s tight grip. Alana refrained from interfering, afraid that if she did, she would set either of them off. But she was ready just in case things got worse, which it often did when a situation was this tense.

“Maybe your mommy and my dad got this toy for both of us!” the little blue-eyed boy said, with a slight lisp in his words.

Darren gasped dramatically, looking at the power-ranger up and down.

“So we have to share it!” he declared.

“Yes.”

“Can I have the first turn?” Darren asked, almost too solemnly.

“Okay.” the boy said carefully. “But promise to let me have a turn too.”

“I promise,” Darren said, standing up straighter as if that would strengthen the integrity of his words.

Darren did return it, as promised.

But that power ranger found its way into his room countless times after that.


	2. Word Prompt - Ice Cream Parlor

“Momma I think I see Chris there!” Darren said excitedly, tugging his mother’s hand hoping that would convince her to let go of her death-grip.

“I know sweetheart, it’s his house,” Cerina said, waiting until they were safely in front of the Colfer family’s fence to let go of her son. He’d struck up quite the friendship with their son, and the Colfers were a wonderful family.

Darren ran towards his _bestest_ friend in the world. They’d met a couple of years ago when Chris’ family had moved to San Fransisco.  

Recently they’d changed neighborhoods, and luckily enough for Chris and Darren, the house’s location fell under the same school district as Darren’s did. Which Darren didn’t understand the significance of until his parents explained it to him, that he and his closest friend would be attending the same elementary school in the fall.

“Chris!” Darren said, running up to Chris and giving him a hug. “I missed you!”

“I saw you at the park this morning!” Chris exclaimed, feeling a little embarrassed hugging Darren in the middle of his driveway. In front of his parents no less.

“Thank you so much for taking care of Chris this afternoon. We have the hospital appointment and…” Chris’ father started.

“Don’t mention it. I absolutely love having Chris around, and he helps keep an eye on this one.” Cerina said, putting her hands on Darren’s shoulders.

She then motioned Chris toward the sidewalk, “We’re going to be walking all the way to downtown sweetheart, do you want to pack anything before we leave? I have sunscreen and water with me.”

“Can I take my book?” Chris asked Cerina and his parents.

“It’ll be heavy to carry around.” his mother warned.

“I’ll help Chris, so he won’t have to carry it all the time.” Darren piped up.

Chris looked at Darren gratefully, and then silently waited for permission.

With the nod of assent, Chris ran into the living room and grabbed a book in his hands, ready to leave.

* * *

Chris and Darren walked ahead of the latter’s mother, Darren holding Chris’ book on his side.

They made sure to wait for Darren’s mom to join them before any crossing.

“Are you excited about the new school?” Darren asked.

“Kind of. I’m also scared.” Chris admitted, looking back to make sure Cerina couldn’t hear their conversation. He was still a little frightened of adults that weren’t his parents, and although Darren and his family were the nicest people in the world he always worried about saying the wrong thing in front of them.

“Why are you scared?” Darren said, louder than Chris would have liked.

“What if everyone’s mean to me?” Chris whispered, hoping that would get Darren to realize this was a private conversation.

“Nobody’s mean,” Darren said firmly, but then thought about it. “No. Wait. Jessie’s really mean. Last year I heard he pushed Barry so bad he broke his nose in two different places.”

Chris showed visible shock on his face, so Darren quickly said, “Don’t worry. I won’t let him bother you.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Darren vowed. “Momma and Papa hate it when me and Chuck fight, but it’ll be okay.”

“Chris? Darren?” Cerina called out to the two boys. She’d stopped in front of one of the stores with a colorful banner outside its window. “Would you like some ice-cream?”

“It’s okay…” Chris said timidly.

“Aw, come on Chris. Momma always takes me and Chuck to the best ice-cream place. They let you try all the flavors and then you can even have unlimited sprinkles.” Darren said, grabbing Chris’ hand and pulling him inside, as Cerina opened the door for them.

The hand-holding didn’t help Chris overcome the initial wave of shyness, just doubled it.

* * *

As they entered the ice-cream parlor, Chris could smell freshly baked waffle cones, and noticed a massive jar of rainbow colored sprinkles.

“Momma, I want the cookies one!” Darren said the minute they got into the air-conditioned store.

“Let Chris decide first, he’s our guest.” Cerina admonished. “What flavor would you like to try, sweetheart?”

“Umm. I’m not sure.” Chris said, biting his lip. He peeked over into the display case and asked for the first flavor that caught his eye. “Rasberry?”

“Of course,” Cerina said, pointing to the tub filled with the pink frozen cream. The attendant behind the counter handed Cerina the spoon, who passed it on to Chris since he was too short to reach it himself.

He tasted it and scrunched up his nose at how sour it was, causing Darren to giggle.

Chris tried a few more flavors, as Darren patiently waited for his turn. The server behind the counter did want to ask Darren, but Cerina motioned that he wouldn’t.

The parlor was empty except for them, and she thought this would be a good way for Darren to exercise and learn some self-restraint. And she knew that the last person he’d want to mess up in front of would be Chris. At times like this, parenthood was incredibly fun.

“I think I’d like the chocolate fudge,” Chris said hesitantly. He’d tried a few flavors before that, and Darren could tell that he probably wanted them all. Ice-cream was just so good.

“Excellent choice, young man.” the server said. “Cone or cup?”

“Cone?” Chris inquired, looking up at Cerina who smiled at him. “Cone, please.”

Chris took his seat after being handed a large scoop of his delicious frozen treat on a cone.

“And for the young fellow who can’t stay still?” the guy behind the counter joked, giving Darren a wave.

“Cotton Candy.”

* * *

“You didn’t try out any of the ice-cream flavors. I thought you wanted the cookie one?” Chris pointed out.

“I could tell it was your second favorite,” Darren replied. “So I got it, and now you can share it with me.”

Chris didn’t care who saw, he stretched the hand that held his cone as far away as his hands could reach, so it wouldn’t squish in between them and gave Darren a hug.


	3. Word Prompt - Carnival or Amusement Park

“But dad! That’s so unfair. How come Chuck gets to go?” Darren said, hoping he didn’t sound too whiny.

“Because Chuck is older than you.” Darren’s father said, barely looking away from the television.

“By _one_ year.”

“Yes. But he’s a teenager. You’re not.” Darren opened his mouth to answer back but his father continued, “And when you are, I’ll let you go to the carnival with your friends on a school night.”

Darren hardly ever got into arguments with his parents.

But this was important. He’d promised Chris that they’d go to this one-night-only carnival event together. And he never broke a promise. Not to Chris. 

They only had a couple weeks of school left, and Darren wished the carnival had delayed it’s visit to their town by then. But that was his luck, and he had to do something about it.

Well....There was _one_ way they could go. But he wasn’t sure if Chris would be up for it.

* * *

“Sneaking out?!” Chris exclaimed, but Darren hushed him immediately.

“Quiet!” Darren looked around nervously. “Chuck’s buddies with the entire school. Someone’s bound to hear us.”

“Darren Everett Criss. We are not sneaking out.” Chris said.

“Aw come on…when have we ever done anything that’s gotten us into trouble?” Darren said, putting his geography book into his locker, and packing up his bag for the day.

“Well how about that time that you made me join you on a cardboard box skiing trip down my staircase. When was that? Oh yeah! Last week.” Chris deadpanned.

“Eh. I always look ahead.” Darren waved his hand in a downward motion. “Seriously. No one will know. We’ll do the old…I’m going to bed early routine.”

“And then?” Chris asked, or rather demanded.

“Then you sneak out…” Darren said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Darren…” Chris said warningly.

“Chris….” Darren replied teasingly, as he always did when Chris got too serious. “We’ve got to live a little.”

Chris sighed, he hardly ever could find it in himself to refuse Darren’s requests.

“Okay.” he finally said, giving in.

With a glint in his eye, Darren said, “I’ll see you outside your house at nine.”

* * *

“Mom! Dad! I’m going to bed.” Chris called from the staircase.

“This early?”

“I’m just tired,” Chris said, accompanying his statement with a fake yawn.

“Okay…goodnight?” his parents replied.

Chris thought the lump of clothes and books under his sheets looked nothing like him, but if every film he’d ever seen had demonstrated, he’d be fine.

About an hour after he’d ‘gone to bed’, Chris slowly snuck out of his bedroom door. The living room was farthest away from the backdoor which was his intended escape route. His only hope was that neither one of his parents were in the mood for a post-dinner snack.

Luckily Chris’ path was clear, both his mother and father were heavily invested in the latest episode of ‘ _Who Wants to Be a Millionaire_ ’

As he silently exited the back door he climbed onto the fence and stepped on the garbage cans before landing on the sidewalk. He looked all around before he caught a glimpse of Darren near a stop sign.

He ran up to his best friend, who was wearing a black hooded jacket and sweatpants.

“You look like you’re about to rob a place.”

“Chuck’s gonna be there. I gotta look inconspicuous.”

“Oh,” Chris said, understandingly. “What’s in the bag?”

“I emptied out my savings. We are gonna win every single booth that place has to offer.”

“And where are you gonna hide all of your prizes?” Chris asked with a smirk.

Darren looked momentarily confused, before responding sweetly. “I’ll just give them all to you.”

* * *

“You’re terrible!” Chris said, laughing as Darren missed shooting yet another set of automated ducks passed by.

“Hmmph,” Darren said. “Let’s go to the High Striker.”

“Darren, as soon as you lift that hammer, you’re gonna fall over backward. That thing weighs more than two of you.”

“How come you’re not trying any of these games, huh?”

“Well, first of all, it’s not my money.”

“Damn it, Chris, how many times do I have to tell you? What’s mine is yours. Don’t worry about that.”

Chris pressed on, “And…I know all these games are rigged. You can never beat them.”

“Then how come they have all these prizes?”

“That’s why they have all these prizes. That huge teddy bear has probably been at this booth for forty-five years.”

Darren rolled his eyes but gave Chris a smile. He loved it when Chris would go on about random facts. He was proud to have such an intelligent best friend. He would often show-off that he was friends with a genius, and Chris would have to shut him up.

As they left the booth, they walked toward a few food stalls.

“Oh shoot, I think that’s Chuck,” Chris said out of the blue.

Darren panicked before he felt a strong pull on the back of his hoodie. Chris pulled him into a small hidden space between two of the stalls.

It wasn’t too spacious, but it got the job done. Getting out of Chuck’s sight.

Darren couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Chris up close. As they’d gotten older, they’d become less affectionate. And it wasn’t Darren’s decision. That’s just how it was.

But being this close he noticed things he hadn’t before. Chris smelled nice. Not like any of the colognes that plagued the boys' locker room, but something fresh and indescribably fascinating. And Chris’ eyes. He knew they were blue but in the flashing lights of the carnival, Darren could see hints of other colors he couldn’t describe yet.

‘ _Whoa. That was weird._ ’ Darren thought to himself. Friends don’t gaze into other friends' eyes, do they?

“I think he’s gone,” Chris said, shifting to his side that pressed against Darren. “That was close.”

Darren simply gulped, and waited for Chris to move before he could.

‘ _This isn’t right. Not at all._ ’


	4. Word Prompt - Outdoor Sporting Event

Both their fathers miraculously decided that it was a good idea for them to spend their summer playing baseball.

“But I hate baseball!” Chris protested.

“You’ll grow to love it.” Tim insisted, “besides Darren’s joining too. Maybe you’ll be a part of the same team.”

“Yeah…” Chris realized that perhaps little league wouldn’t be so bad. He and Darren could spend the entire season in the dugout rehearsing for the upcoming musical. Darren had told his parents that both he and Chris planned to audition the coming fall and they were ecstatic

However, Chris remembered when they’d brought up the topic at a dinner between their families last night, his family hadn’t said much. He didn’t have to be a detective to figure out how he ended up signing up for baseball as a summer activity.

He knew his parents had their doubts. As did Darren’s. About the two of them. He’d never brought it up because Chris thought it would damage their friendship beyond repair if anything went badly.

Darren was the most loving person he knew, and if he rejected him Chris knew it would hurt him in unimaginable ways.

As his best friend, Darren was often the only person Chris wanted to tell about his crush.

But how cliche was that? Having a crush on your childhood friend. Nope. That was simply not acceptable.

And Chris knew movies weren’t a reality.

* * *

“Baseball?” Darren asked. “As great as it is to watch dad, I just don’t think I’ve got the strength for it.”

“Well, maybe you could build up some muscle this summer. I’ve heard that stage actors need to be fit as well.”

“I could take up track or something.” Darren offered, “Or maybe swimming.”

Bill took a deep breath and said, “Listen, son. Sometimes we need to do things not because they have a self-serving purpose, but because we need to be there for others.”

Darren knew better than to talk back once his father had brought out the ‘son’ card. So he nodded in response and agreed to sign up the following day.

* * *

“Ugh. It’s boiling. And I’m pretty sure Aaron hasn’t washed his jockstrap since the start of the season.” Darren complained, taking off his cap and running his hands through his curls.

Chris tried to look away but he couldn’t. He didn’t know if he had always had a thing for curls, or if this infatuation had started recently, but Darren’s were certainly his favorite. They were perfectly indicative of his personality. Full of bounce and liveliness, but you could also tell how soft they were. Yeah, Chris had spent a bit of time thinking about those dark curls.

But Chris had trained himself to not allow those distracting thoughts to interfere in his conversations with Darren.

“Yuck.” Chris said, “I don’t think he’s showered either.”

Darren wrinkled his nose in disgust but was smiling nevertheless.

“You know what?” Chris continued, “I think he believes that’s the reason we’re winning.”

“The only reason we’re winning is because we have the greatest catcher in the entire league sitting right in front of me.”

That caused Chris to blush.  

He didn’t think he’d be any good when they had started; and if he was honest, the only reason they were winning was because Darren had turned out to be a remarkably good pitcher. Their coach loved their dynamic and had insisted they were to be on the field together at every possible opportunity.

* * *

Darren remembered watching baseball games with his dad and brother. They used to go by so fast he could never tell what just happened. He’d have to wait for the slow motion replays to understand anything.

Playing was entirely different. Within a fraction of a second he could determine what Chris wanted him to do, and before anyone would know it, the pitch was over. Often, other players, even coaches would get frustrated at the efficiency of their plays.

Darren focused. He ignored the other team’s batter and concentrated on Chris. Chris pointed to a specific portion of his glove, telling Darren what he wanted. He knew exactly where the ball was to be thrown, and he was certain Chris would easily catch it.

Just one more strike. One more.

Darren took a deep breath and felt the ball leave his hand.

“YOU’RE OUT!’ the umpire shouted as soon as he heard the thump of the baseball in Chris’ glove. The batter, rather than walking off the field, shoved Chris toward the ground.

And that’s when it happened. It only took a split second, but for Darren time slowed down. The next thing he knew was that he’d thrown his pitcher’s glove to his right and charged towards the batter.

And then he was seated for the rest of the game. They lost because of that.

“Thanks a lot, asshole,” Aaron said, walking towards Darren. Darren stood up, knowing that his teammate wasn’t the most diplomatic person in the world.

“He pushed Chris. You saw him.” Darren said, defending his actions.

“He was trying to get a rise out of us. He was already off the field, but we needed you there. You walked right into his trap.”

Their coach tried to direct Aaron away, but his silence was enough to reveal what he thought.

Chris walked into the dugout, patting off the dust from his uniform and removed his catcher’s mask.

“Aaron’s right.” Chris piped up. “That’s what he wanted.”

Darren sat angrily back in his seat, as the rest of his teammates left without saying a word to him.

He looked up to see Chris still there. He checked Chris' body to make sure he wasn’t hurt too badly. There was a small red mark on his elbow, which would probably bruise later on.

“Does anything hurt?” Darren asked.

“No. Coach and my dad looked me over. I’ll be fine.” Chris said, and Darren noticed he wasn’t as angry the rest of the team was.

“You’re not mad?” Darren asked.

“No,” Chris said simply.

“Why?”

“Because I’d have done the same thing if it were you.”


	5. Word Prompt - Fireworks

Summer had been uneventful.

Darren had travelled to a family event that much longer than either of them expected, and Chris missed him.

They’d had a great time at Chris’ sixteenth birthday. Darren had surprised him with sixteen presents, one every day leading up to the actual day of his birthday. Books, stuffed animals, cologne, a watch, relatively pricey chocolates and other assorted gifts.

All arranged in his room. Even the chocolates.

He only shared those with Hannah.

On his birthday Darren’s entire family came over for the celebration. As Chris blew out the candles, he caught Darren’s eye and made a wish hoping by some miracle it would come true. Little did he know that it soon would.

* * *

Chris’ home phone rang, and Chris slowly dragged himself from the couch before answering it.

“Hello?” Chris said, not bothering to check the caller ID.

“Hello to you too, Colfer.”

“Dare!” Chris said into the receiver. “I didn’t know you were back.”

“We came back late last night. Can you believe that place had no internet? I couldn’t even find a phone that didn’t look like it was from the 1930’s”

“Did you have fun?”

“No. Well, a little. There was a cute lifeguard at one of the beaches.”

Chris tried not to grind his teeth, “Oh.”

“Who turned out to be a complete asshole. So that really put me off.”

Chris huffed out a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound too satisfied.

Darren then asked, “Wanna come over for lunch? We could watch a movie?”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“Nope.” Darren said, making a popping sound on the ‘p’.

“Okay. I’ll be over in ten.”

* * *

Darren greeted him with a warm hug as soon as he opened the door.

“You smell like my great aunt Ruth,” Chris said to him as soon they broke apart.

“Yeah I know, I think she was there at the lake wearing a two-piece.” Darren winked, earning a slight shove from Chris. “Seriously, though, the entire extended family was there and I was a target, Colfer. All these old ladies seemed to want me to do all these little chores for them, and they paid me back in cheek-pinches or hugs.”

Chris giggled as he took off his shoes. Darren’s family never wore shoes in their house, yet it always smelled wonderful.

“Where is everyone?” Chris asked, noting how silent the house was.

“Mom and Dad are returning the bike rack we took on the trip. One of the parts was broken and we didn’t have time to take it back when we left. And I think Chuck’s out with his girlfriend.”

“Oh, cool.”

“All my cousins watched all these random scary movies at the lake house, on this TV from the forties. They kept asking me to join them and you know I couldn’t watch them how we usually do, so Chuck borrowed these from the library this morning,” Darren explained, heading to the T.V room.

Chris knew Darren hated horror films.

They both did. But they figured out how to combat the fear and enjoy the adrenaline. They’d watch them together, in broad daylight, and make commentate each scene. It was a creative exercise to see which one could make the other laugh more.

* * *

“Is this one of them?” Chris said holding up the DVD cover and trying not to show the fear in his voice.

“Yup. I heard it’s good.” Darren said, taking it from him and opening the case.

“Yeah, but what if it’s so good that we can’t make fun of it. And it actually scares the shit out of us?”

“Are you turning down a challenge, Colfer?”

“No,” Chris said defiantly, taking a seat on the Criss’ couch, waiting for Darren to join him after he put the disk in.

* * *

“Ooh. Let’s just enter that terrifying house, and hope that a ghost doesn’t fuck with us.” Darren said mockingly, inter-cutting the horrific music of the scene and automatically making it less scary.

“You know, a haunting is a brilliant way to settle the debate of who’s the hottest in a group of friends. Because the spirit always kills from least attractive to most. Only leaving the picture perfect survivor person in the end.”

“I think you’d survive,” Darren said, so quietly Chris almost didn’t hear it. Almost. But he remained calm. He glanced over at Darren, only to see him staring at the screen.

Chris then realized Darren wasn’t aware he’d just said that out loud. And because Chris contained his reaction, Darren’s obliviousness continued.

Chris was worried he’d imagined it completely.

* * *

Chris’ family always celebrated the fourth of July with a massive party. They’d invite as many people as they could for the barbecue, and spent the night watching fireworks from the backyard.

Darren and his family had joined them every year, Cerina bringing some of her own specialities and making the feast even more enjoyable.

Chris and Darren had their own tradition. Ever since they were old enough, they’d exit out of Chris’ window onto his rooftop and get an extraordinary view of the bright lights launched into the sky that night. Darren called it their VIP access spot, where nobody else was allowed.

After helping out with the clean-up and arranging the lounge seats for their parents Chris and Darren headed up to their spot outside Chris’ bedroom window.

They settled themselves, careful not to go too close to the edge.

* * *

There was an incident the first time they were up there. Darren had slipped while getting up, and nearly fell backwards, but Chris had caught him just in time.

Chris was riddled with guilt since it was his idea to go there in the first place and thought Darren would never step foot on that rooftop again.

But he had a lot to learn about that boy, knowing that something as small as that wouldn’t stop him from experiencing something amazing.

* * *

After the first firework shot into the air, Chris heard a loud cheer from their neighbors. And then a legion followed. Some shot in a straight line before exploding into hundreds of sparks. Other ones burst into an avalanche of bright red.

Darren gazed up following the trail of one firework and Chris could only see his outline until a firework illuminated the night sky and displayed the features Chris had already memorized.

The slope of his nose; the slight upturn of his mouth, a twitch he displayed whenever he got over-excited or nervous. His green eyes, that had specks of hazel whenever he got close enough for Chris to see.

Darren then looked over and smiled at him, and the next thing Chris knew was that they were kissing.

‘ _Soft_.’ Chris thought to himself.

Darren’s lips were so soft, with a hesitant pressure but when Chris felt Darren’s hand on his own he felt bold enough breathe into it and continue the kiss.

He didn’t know which one of them had initiated it. Perhaps the distant smell of gunpowder was an aphrodisiac, but regardless he was still kissing Darren.

Whatever deity was helping him out, Chris had to send them a personal thank-you note.

It was a particularly loud boom that made them break apart, and Chris could hear Darren taking deep breaths which made him aware of his own rapid heart rate.

After a small period of silence, Chris said the one thought that kept repeating in his mind. “Thanks for that.”

Darren let out a chuckle, “Really?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’m kind of at a loss for words.”

Darren took a sharp inhale and asked, “Was it okay?”

“Darren. I’m on the goddamn school debate team and the writer’s club, and I just said I was speechless.” Chris said, wondering just how clueless that boy could be at times.

“Well, seems like the effect wore off.” Darren laughed, his hand still on top of Chris’.

“How about you try again and see if it works again,” Chris asked coyly. “You know, just to test out the theory.”

Darren grinned and complied to Chris’ request.


	6. Word Prompt - Pool

Chris wasn’t ready to tell his parents just yet.

And Darren was worried that as soon as his mother found out, it wouldn’t be much of a secret. So they decided to keep it between themselves. Just for a little while.

But Darren soon learned that pretending like they weren’t together was actually more suspicious.

“What’s wrong with you and Chris?” Darren’s mother asked one late July afternoon. “Did you two get into a fight?”

“What?” Darren said, his mouth full of an apple he’d just taken a bite of. “No we didn’t.”

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You both were acting strange last time he came over. I couldn’t hear any laughter or singing coming from your room.”

Darren started coughing nervously, trying not to choke on the piece of fruit. The reason his mother hadn’t heard anything was because there wasn’t a lot of talking being done in his room at that time.

“We’re fine, mom. Really.” Darren insisted. “In fact, he’s coming over again today.”

* * *

“Your parents are gonna hear us,” Chris whispered lying on his back on his boyfriend’s bed as Darren half lay on top of him.

“Mmhmm.” Darren murmured, kissing the scar on the side of Chris’ neck over and over again.

Chris had to physically pull Darren off because he knew what the next course of action would be, and Chris didn’t think he’d be able to put his shirt on in the time it took for Darren’s mom to open the bedroom door.

“Nooo…” Darren pouted, knowing that Chris wouldn’t be able to resist giving him a kiss after that. And he was right. He’d gotten to know Chris more in the last couple of weeks than he had since he’d met him.

“We’ve gotta be careful.” Chris reminded him, moving a little to give Darren space to comfortably move to the right side of his bed.

“Yeah, okay.” Darren accepted, putting his head on Chris’ chest. That would be an easy enough position to get out of, should the occasion arise. “Any idea if you wanna tell your mom and dad. I’m not saying that you have to, but if you wanna talk about it I want you to know I’m not only in this for the make-out sessions.”

Chris looked down into Darren’s eyes, past those ridiculously long and thick lashes of his and said, “You sure?”

“Absolutely. I’m planning for this relationship to go through all the nitty-gritty dramatic cliches.”

“Even the classic break-up in the rain.”

Darren furrowed his eyebrows. “No. Not that.”

Chris really liked the conviction in Darren’s voice. He loved how assured Darren was about them because it echoed exactly what Chris’ felt as well.

He didn’t know if they were ready to voice their true feelings out loud at the time, but statements like these showed glimpses of how devoted Darren was. And it reminded Chris of how much he wanted this too.

“You wanna go swimming tomorrow?” Darren asked.

“Huh? Where?”

“One of my parent’s friends has this pool in their backyard, they’re away for a few weeks and I’m their pool cleaning guy this summer. One of the perks of the job is unlimited access to it.”

“And how come I didn’t know about this before?” Chris asked.

“Because I got the job yesterday,” Darren answered. “So is that a yes?”

Chris thought about spending a few hours alone with Darren in nothing but a pair of swim shorts. What did Darren think his answer was going to be?

* * *

Chris felt a bit nervous entering a strange backyard, but Darren assured him they were allowed to do this. He had the keys to the garage for the cleaning supplies and repeated that the high fences would shield them from prying eyes.

“We’re good. I promise.” Darren said kicking off his sandals, “I’ll clean the pool again once we’re done, so all you should have to worry about is trying to keep my upcoming job as easy as possible.”

Darren then took his shirt off and sat at the edge of the pool. He nodded his head toward the water, urging Chris to follow suit. Chris took a moment to admire Darren’s back, which was facing him right now. The curve of his spine leading to the dimples in his back right above the waistline of his swimming shorts.

His birthmark was barely visible but Chris spotted it immediately. Nothing about Darren body was something he could just look over, every single detail had to be appreciated. Chris was working on that.

He put his towel down and complied, but Chris’ hands at the hem of his t-shirt. He and Darren had been shirtless in front of each other many times. Water parks, splash pads and even public pools, but now the context was completely different.

Now Darren was going to look with a purpose.

“Well come on. Hurry up.” Darren called out.

Chris listened and by the time his shirt was over his head he heard a splash and assumed Darren had dived in already. Chris put his foot into the water with trepidation and pulled it out immediately.

“Why the hell is it so fucking cold?”

“It is not,” Darren said, paddling over to the edge and supporting his weight on the stones lining the sides of the pool. “You just need to spend a little time in the water, and you’ll be fine.”

Chris slowly dipped his body into the water, shivering as he did, wondering how Darren could convince him to do practically anything.

“Th-th-there. N-Now what?” Chris said, his teeth chattering. Darren swam closer and enveloped him in a hug from behind.

“Better?” Darren asked, laying his chin on Chris’ left shoulder. Instantly Chris felt his body warm up, though he wasn’t certain it was because of Darren’s attempt to share his body heat.

“Y-Yeah.”

“Good,” Darren said, giving him a kiss on his cheek. “Because once you’re all warmed up, I’m challenging you to a race. Two laps.”

Chris turned around in Darren’s arms and leaned closer, his lips almost touching Darren’s. “You’re on.” and then proceeded to swim away, across the length of the pool.

Chris had a head start but he swam as fast as he could anyway, reaching one end of the pool and turning around. He caught a glimpse of Darren as he went up for a breath but with one final stroke he made it to the other end.

He took a deep breath before turning around to exclaim, “I win!”

Darren was just catching up, swimming a little more casually than Chris had just gone through the trouble of doing.

Darren floated right in front of Chris, making him walk back until his back hit the pool wall.

He placed his hands on Chris’ hips and quietly said, “Yeah, I guess you did.”

Chris leaned forward, giving Darren the kiss he’d denied him previously while putting his own arms around the other boy’s waist.

“You just brought me here so you could make out with me.”

“Without any distractions,” Darren added. Chris felt Darren’s toes on top of his own in the water, the touch being incredibly intimate, but Chris knew his boyfriend was probably trying to get some leverage in their current position.

Chris was more than happy to give it to him.

“Without any distractions,” Chris reiterated, knowing the rest of the afternoon was going to be spectacular.


	7. Word Prompt - Shade Tree or Picnic

Word prompt: ‘ _Shade Tree or Picnic_ ’. This fic is slowly progressing into an actual multi-chaptered one. The reason I’m posting so many chapters in a row is because I’m trying to get to where the writers of the [KSC](https://www.tumblr.com/edit/klainesummerchallenge.tumblr.com) are. ~1,400 words.  


 

 

* * *

 

 

 

It was near the end of their junior year when they came out to their parents. Chris’ parents each gave him a hug and said that they’d love him regardless. They were also happy that it was Darren.

“I’d had my suspicions for a long time,” Chris’ father disclosed. “And if I ever made you feel like you weren’t able to talk to me, I’m sorry. It took me a little while to get here, but you’re my son. And I love you.”

Chris held back tears, knowing his father wasn’t always the most demonstrative person regarding emotions, but this was a big deal.

Darren, in a completely Darren-like fashion, had brought it up at the dinner table.

“Did I ever tell you guys that Chris and I got together almost a year ago?”

Without missing a beat Cerina said, “Yes, we know dear.”

“Oh.”

“I've known that you’ve been after that boy since the day you saw him. You think I wouldn't know when my own son is keeping a secret from me?”

“Then why not say anything?” Darren asked exasperatedly, looking around at his family’s unamused expressions. “Did _all_ of you know?”

“Yup,” Chuck said, his mouth full of chicken. “My room’s right next to your’s buddy. And this house has thin walls.”

Darren turned completely red at that statement.

“We wanted to wait till you were ready to tell us,” Bill said, ignoring his elder son’s statement. “But you didn’t and we didn’t want to pressure you.”

“Chris was a little worried,” Darren said quietly.

“Oh. Has he talked to his parents?” Cerina asked, putting seconds onto her own plate and her husband’s.

“Yeah. At least he should have tonight. I was going to ask him how it went after dinner.”

“Well, you go do that.” Bill said, “I’ll help your mother with the dishes tonight.”

“Thanks dad...” Darren said, proceeding to race up to his room.

He opened up his messenger application and sent Chris an IM.

 **darren-criss:** : everything okay?

 **c.colfer:** yeah, it went great. my dad almost made me cry. you?

 **darren-criss:** aww. that’s adorable. it was uneventful to say the least.

 **c.colfer:** huh?

 **darren-criss:** they all knew….

 **c.colfer:** WHAT? how???

 **darren-criss:** no fucking clue. they just stared at me all smug and said we were obvious.

 **c.colfer:** really? that’s so weird

 **darren-criss:** it’s you and your damn heart-eyes colfer

 **c.colfer:** so i should stop with those?

 **darren-criss:** not at all

 **c.colfer:** are you free tomorrow?

 **darren-criss:** what do you have in mind?

 **c.colfer:** its a surprise

 **darren-criss:** okay

 **c.colfer:** just like that?

 **darren-criss:** just like that…

 **c.colfer:** okay. be ready by 11.

 **darren-criss:** AM???

 **c.colfer:** yes

 **darren-criss:** but its summer… :(

 **c.colfer:** there will be kisses. possibly hugs

 **darren-criss:** HUGS?!! you got me there colfer. I’ll see you at 11.

Chris felt like doing something nice. Their entire junior year was stolen kisses and rushed and rather intimate undertakings in both their bedrooms whenever they had the house to themselves.

Just thinking about that had Chris smiling to himself. Telling his parents made Chris feel like it strengthened his relationship with Darren even more.

And that gave Chris the sudden urge to want to do something special for Darren.

Darren was always the hardest person to gift. He always insisted that he had more than enough things and that he was lucky enough not to want for anything.

Chuck would get him t-shirts of his favorite band, and his parents would often take Chris’ family for a joint dinner to a restaurant of Darren’s choice.

But Chris had an idea.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Hey, Chuck,” Chris said as Darren’s brother opened the Criss’ front door.

“Hey. Come on in. Darren’s getting changed, I think.”

“Oh thanks, I’ll just wait here for him.”

“It’s cool. Darren told us all last night. You can head up into his room, I won’t judge.”

Chris ducked his head but went upstairs anyway. He knocked on Darren’s bedroom door and heard Darren yell. “Hey Chuck, have you seen my green polo?”

Chris quickly slipped into the room, and said, “How did you know I love that shirt on you?”

“Fuck Chris!” Darren said, turning around and putting his hand on his own chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”

Chris chuckled but apologized immediately “Sorry. Sorry.” He stepped into Darren’s small closet space, and put his own hand on Darren’s chest and feeling his sped up heartbeat, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” Darren said, his breathing becoming more steady. “I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour.”

“Couldn’t wait to see you,” Chris said, moving his hand from Darren’s bare chest down to his waist and pulling him closer.

“Christopher!” Darren said jokingly, “Aren’t we feeling a little adventurous today?”

“You have no idea,” Chris mumbled, giving Darren a small kiss on his neck. “Now hurry up. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us.”

“Okay. Okay.” Darren said, putting on the first button-up he could find. “Do you need me to grab anything?”

“Nope. Just get your ass in the car and let’s get going.”

“Ass en route,” Darren said, exiting his room and reminding Chuck that he was headed out with Chris.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Where are we going?” Darren asked for the thousandth time.

Chris took a deep breath and concentrated on the traffic in front of him. “Still not telling.”

Darren sighed defeatedly and began fiddling with the car’s radio, looking for a station that suited his mood. He found it eventually, and coaxed Chris to join him sing alongside Frank Sinatra’s ‘ _Fly Me to the Moon_ ’.

Forty minutes and almost six duets later, Chris parked into a relatively deserted parking lot. There was a long expanse of grassy fields in front of them, and a large oak tree in the center. That’s where he was headed.

“Holy shit, Chris. This place is gorgeous.” Darren said, shutting the passenger door.

“I know,” Chris said, opening the trunk and handing Darren a cooler. “Here, carry this.”

“A picnic?” Darren said with a grin on his face. “Colfer, you romantic little shit.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Chris said, grabbing the picnic mat and a basket. “Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After having a few sandwiches and Diet Cokes, Chris lay his back against the thick trunk of the aged tree, with Darren’s head on his lap.

Chris ran his fingers through Darren’s hair, and held his copy of ‘ _The Supernaturalist_ ’ with the other, reading it aloud. Darren had gotten him this particular book only because the author’s last name was written in a larger font-size on the book.

The author’s last name also happened to be Colfer.

“It’s just like you set this image of what you wanna achieve, and then you make it happen.” Darren had said. “One day your name’s gonna be on books, just like that.”

Darren’s yawn broke Chris out of the pleasant memory.

“Not that the book is boring, but what you’re doing feels really good,” Darren said.

“Late night?”

“Yeah. I was looking at some more college and university applications. It’s easier because Chuck’s guiding me through it, but still…”

Chris knew how stressful it was, but he had faith that Darren would easily make it into any school he wanted to. He’d never admit it, but he was an excellent student.  
Chris was having similar worries, relying on scholarships to get into some of the schools outside the state. He’d already decided that, and Darren agreed. They both loved San Francisco, but they wanted to explore and experience more.

“You’ll be fine,” Chris said comfortingly. “Don’t think too much about it right now.”

“Okay,” Darren said gently.

By the time Chris had gotten onto the next page of the book, he heard soft snores coming from his lap. Darren had fallen asleep, and Chris would be lying if he’d said his heart didn’t melt at the sight.

There was something about that moment, under the shade of that oak tree and the sun on the verge of setting into the horizon that Chris realized just how much he loved this boy.

And he couldn't wait to tell him.


	8. Word Prompt: Hiking or Biking

“When was the last time you came up here?” Chris said, adjusting his seatbelt away from the grip it had on his neck.

He was seated in the back of Darren’s family car, joining him and his parents  on a morning hiking trip before the end of their summer vacation.

Chris had initially told his boyfriend that Darren should spend time with his family, but Cerina and Bill had insisted taking Chris along.

“Chuck said he wanted to spend his first summer of college in Connecticut, and I’m probably going to be bored out of my mind,” Darren had said, pouting.

Chris agreed after that.

Chris’ parents were heading to another city to meet with some older relatives, and Chris much preferred this trip than meeting his aunts and uncles. It wasn’t as if they were terrible people. Chris felt they always had an air of discomfort around him, and Chris didn’t have the patience for them anymore.

“I think maybe when I was like three. We’ve been busy most summers after that. I don’t remember the place at all, but there’s pictures of Dad’s bike attached to a mini-trailer with wheels where Chuck and I were strapped in. Mom said it was a beautiful place.”

“Can’t wait,” Chris said, smiling and peering out the window on his left.

* * *

“Darren, take off the bikes from the rack,” Darren’s father said as stepped out of the car and began stretching.

Cerina placed her own sun hat and asked everyone if they’d applied sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and hats.

When the chorus of ‘yes’ finished, Bill said, “Your mom and I will be headed towards the trails, do either of you want to join us?”

“Maybe later, dad,” Darren said, as he put Chris’ bicycle on the ground and pushed it’s kickstand into place. “Chris?”

“Thanks. But I’d like to see the view from the escarpment.”

“Just be careful,” Cerina reminded. “We’ll see you boys back here in a couple of hours, okay.”

“Okay,” Darren said, climbing onto his bike seat. He looked back and saw Chris ready to follow him.

* * *

“Whoa!” Chris shouted as he slowed down while reaching a curve.

“Yeah. You gotta be careful,” Darren said braking into a slow halt as Chris caught up to him. “It looks scary, but I promise it’s safe.”

“It’s a workout,” Chris pointed out, noting that both he and Darren were a little out of breath.

“You’re telling me. But we’re done with the worst of it. After this, there’s a gradual descent, and an easy flat trail back to where we started.” Darren explained, leaning on one foot, and taking the view in.

The view meaning Chris, of course.

His hair, usually swooped upwards, was flopped down underneath his helmet. He had a patch of sweat on his back because of the unbearable heat, there were mosquitos buzzing all around them and Darren swore he’d never seen a more beautiful sight.

“Let’s go?” Chris asked, looking back and Darren nodded.

* * *

Chris shifted the gears on his bike, sensing the steepness of the downhill ride, and taking precaution. He then saw Darren blaze past him, and in a second his bike flipped over.

Chris felt his heart stop, trying to safely hit his brakes and avoid crashing into Darren.

As soon as he had safely halted his own bike, Chris raced towards his boyfriend.

“Darren!” Chris yelled, lifting Darren’s bike off of him, “Dare? Are you okay?”

Darren groaned and opened his eyes. “Yeah.”

Chris looked him over, and noticed his right elbow was badly scraped, and he had a cut on his knee. “You sure?”

“My arm hurts,” Darren answered.

“Here. I’m gonna help you sit up, just don’t get up too fast.” Chris ordered.

Darren sat at the edge of the trail on a pile of soil and twigs. Chris sat on his knees right in front of him, holding his softly by either side and looking him over again and again.

“You scared me pretty badly,” Chris told him.

“I think there was a rock my wheel hit. It happened pretty fast.” Darren said, checking out his elbow and wincing.

“I’ll be right back,” Chris said, getting up.

He ran towards his own bike and grabbed the plastic water bottle that was attached to the front.

“It’s cold, fresh water,” Chris said to him. “I just wanna wash the dirt out, okay.”

“Okay,” Darren said worriedly. As Chris poured the freezing water over Darren’s knee, he heard him let out a whimper and Chris tried to focus on the task at hand. As soon as he finished pouring a little more over Darren’s elbow, he offered him some to drink.

The bottle was in one hand and Chris affectionately held Darren’s chin with the other, as Darren took a small sip.

Darren’s heart swelled at the gesture, but what really tipped Darren over the edge was the look in Chris’ eyes. There was so much care and warmth in them, but they were also on the verge of tears. That did it for him. Because Darren knew that if he ever saw Chris hurt, he wouldn’t be able to control his own emotions either. So just as Chris was twisting the bottle cap back on Darren said, “I love you.”

The bottle fell out of Chris‘ hands at that, “What?”

“I- I don’t think I could have gone another moment without saying that. I had to,” Darren confessed.

Chris let out a breathy laugh and said, “God. I love you too, you dumbass. So much.” He angled forward and delicately held Darren’s cheek, giving him a kiss.

When they broke apart, Darren asked, “So do you wanna wait here?”

“Can you walk?”

“I think so,” he said. Chris immediately got up and held out his hand to offer support to Darren.

Darren grabbed on, and Chris pulled him up. Darren put a little weight on his feet and flinched as soon as his left foot touched the ground. “I don’t think it’s broken. Maybe just twisted or sprained.”

“What should we do?”

“Cell phones don’t get any reception up here, but I’m sure we’ll come across a park ranger soon enough,” Darren said.

“Okay. Here, lean on me and we’ll walk slowly.” Chris told him.

They’d walked about ten minutes until they heard a ranger’s cart coming towards them. Chris called out, and the ranger parked near to them.

“Hey there! You boys okay?”

“Yeah, we just had a little accident,” Darren said.

“Oh, that doesn’t look too bad. I’ll drive you two to the clinic we have at the park. Hop on.”  
  
Chris helped Darren onto the cart, and said, “Our bikes are just a little bit back there.”

“I’ll come back here for them after dropping you off.” the ranger affirmed.

“Thank you so much, sir,” Darren said.

* * *

Darren was led to a small room with medical equipment lined up on the shelves. The physician inside cleaned up his cuts and scrapes with rubbing alcohol, and Darren held his breath trying not to scream. He still felt the sting as she bandaged the wounds.

“We don’t have an x-ray machine, so I want you to stay off that foot until you can get it checked out. Just to be safe.”

“Alright,” Darren said, trying not to move his ankle.

“I’m just gonna give you a tetanus shot in your upper arm. It doesn’t have any side effects, but your arm may feel a little sore tomorrow. Okay?” the medical practitioner told him.

“Okay,” Darren said, wincing a bit as the needle went in.

“And you’re done. You should be fine, but if there’s any persisting problems or a fever, contact your doctor immediately.”

“Got it,” Darren said, giving her a grateful smile.

* * *

As he hopped towards the nearby door, he saw Chris sitting there with his mother.

Chris noticed him first, getting up to help Darren stay up.

Cerina walked toward him and asked, “Darren! Chris told us what happened. Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“Yeah mom, I’m fine. My foot just needs to get checked out.”

“We’ll get going immediately. Your dad was just getting the bikes up on the rack and thanking the man that found you two.”

“Oh okay.”

Chris locked his arm around Darren’s waist and led him to the Criss’ car. As they sat inside, Darren intertwined his fingers with Chris’.

Darren had confessed his love tonight, and Chris had said he loved him too. Darren figured a few bumps were worth it.

Absolutely worth it. 


	9. Word Prompt: Boardwalk

“Darren! Are you done with your packing?” Cerina called. “I just got off the phone with Chris and they are just about to leave their house.”

“Yeah, mom!” Darren yelled back. Putting an extra pair of flip flops into his bag for good measure.

He looked around his room and noticed the blank spaces on the walls from where his posters used to be. His mother had told him he didn’t need to, but Darren said he wanted to take them along. He’d need them in his dorm room to remind him a little bit of home.

Darren had gotten an early acceptance into the University of Michigan, and had received the letter almost two months ago. The only person that had been more excited than his parents was Chris.

* * *

“YOU GOT IN!” Chris had squealed. “I knew you could do it, babe.” The term of affection had started not long after they’d professed their love for one another.

Chris had applied to universities all over the country, even two in Michigan. One was LSA College, which was a part of the University of Michigan. And the other was Concordia.

This was their last summer in San Francisco, and the two of them wanted to make it special.

* * *

The two-hour drive to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk wasn’t too bad. They had to make a stop because Chris’ father felt a little sick from a breakfast burrito he’d had that morning. But otherwise, it was fairly uneventful. Hannah and Darren played a few rounds of the Alphabet game and before they knew it, they’d arrived at their motel.

“Now this isn’t something fancy like you’re used to,” Chris murmured quietly, earning a shove from Darren.

“Shut up. It’s not like we’re gonna spend all our time there. We have a beach and an amusement park in front of us.”

As they checked in, Chris noticed his father had paid for two rooms.

“Uh, dad?” Chris asked confusedly.

“Now I’m not saying I approve of any funny business, but I think it would be a little weird to coop us all into one room. And it’s impolite to just leave Darren alone.” He handed Chris the other room key.

Chris coughed nervously at his father’s comment but slipped the card into his pocket. It wasn’t as though he and Darren hadn’t done anything. It was just he didn’t expect his father of all people to give him unlimited access to such activities.

“Just dial 9 and our room number, 204 to call us. Or just walk across the hallway. We’ll see you two at the front entrance in an hour.” his father said walking towards the elevator with Chris’ mom and sister following him.

Darren began to walk after them as well, but Chris pulled him back by his shirt just in time.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I thought we were going to the room,” Darren said, tilting his head in confusion.

“We are. To _our_ room.” Chris said, showing him the room key.

Darren closed his eyes and smiled. “Remind me to get your dad a gift basket when we get back home.”

* * *

They had an hour, which they were supposed to get ready in, but Darren had other plans. As soon as they closed their room door, he sat on one of the beds taking Chris with him.

They pushed at the sheets until they were both lying on their side facing one another.

“Hey,” Darren said.

“Hey,” Chris replied leaning in for a kiss.

Darren smiled into it, trying his hardest not to think of the possibility that this could be one of the last few times he’d get to do this. Chris still hadn’t confirmed anything about his plans for the fall, and Darren didn’t want to pressure him to talk.

That mere thought made Darren curl his arms around Chris and pull him impossibly closer.

Darren wasn’t ready to let go.

Chris must have sensed something was wrong because he pulled back, looking straight at Darren, or rather; right through him.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah…” Darren said, knowing that Chris would detect the lie in a second.

“It isn’t. You’ve got something on your mind.” Chris pointed out, putting his elbow on the cushion and laying his head on top of his hand. “Talk to me.”

“I don’t know. It’s all these jumbled up thoughts in my brain, and I don’t know how to bring it up. I’m worried I might say the wrong thing and then…” Darren said, getting up and sitting cross-legged.

“And then what?”

Darren just shrugged.

“Then what, Dare?” Chris said, also getting up and facing his agitated boyfriend. “You think I’ll get mad at you or something? Leave? Like our time’s up?”

Darren glanced at him, and that’s when Chris knew.

“Did you think this relationship had some sort of expiry date?” Chris scoffed.

“No.” Darren insisted. “No. I—I was worried you may have thought about that.”

Chris took a deep breath and asked, “Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know. I thought you were bored of me or something. I don’t want you to ever make a decision where you don’t put yourself first, you know. I also don’t want you to ever miss out on anything.”

“Do you think you’re gonna miss out on things because of me?” Chris asked hesitantly.

“No,” Darren said. “I- I wanna do everything with you.”

“So do I.”

“I just don’t want to ever stand in your way of doing something,” Darren confessed. “Not that anyone ever could. You’re a force of nature, Colfer.”

“You don’t,” Chris said, getting a little choked up. “You don’t stand in my way. You stand right by me. You always have.”

“I always will,”

“Oh, by the way, I was saving this for the end of our trip. But I kind of want to tell you now.”

“What?” Darren sniffled.

“I got into U-Mich. Well, the LSA college.”

“Oh my God! Chris.” Darren said, leaping onto his boyfriend and pinning him down in a hug. “That’s amazing.”

“Yeah. And this morning a letter came from Concordia.” Chris said, pushing Darren up a little so he could talk more easily.

“And?” Darren said, giving him some space but still on top of him.

“I got in there too. A full ride.”

Darren gave him a congratulatory kiss after that, with a little extra put into it. They would have gotten further if it wasn’t for a knock on their door.

Darren got up and went to open it. “It’s Hannah!”

“Come on!” Chris’ sister urged. “We’re gonna go to the rides first, and then the beach. But we gotta hurry.”

“Okay, okay…” Chris said, fixing the sheets behind him and grabbing his wallet, cell phone, and room key. “Let’s go.”

* * *

“We’re gonna head with Hannah to Neptune’s Kingdom.” Chris’ mom said. “You want to start out there, or head toward the thrill rides?”

“Whatever you’d like,” Chris said, only half meaning it.

“It’s okay. I don’t think Hannah’s gonna miss you. We’ll text you where we are. Obviously, you aren’t gonna hear anything in this place, so keep checking your phone.” Tim yelled over the noise of machines and people screaming in excitement.

“Got it,” Chris said, looking around for Darren. He saw him engrossed in the park map and yelled his name to get his attention.

“We’re going to the Fireball. Right now.” Darren said, grabbing Chris’ hand.

“Okay…okay…” Chris replied, speeding to catch up to Darren.

* * *

Chris tried his best to catch his breath as he exited the ride.

“That was fucking terrifying,” Darren said. “Let’s do it again.”

The next few hours blazed by with either boy dragging the other to a ride that caught their attention. The time in the lines passed with Darren humming along to the songs playing on the speakers, and trying to get Chris to join him.

Chris checked his phone continuously and got a text to meet his parents at the restaurants near the ticket booth for lunch.

* * *

“Would any of you like some fries?” Darren asked, passing his paper plate around.

Chris’ parents waved him off, but Hannah took a bunch. “Thanks, Dare bear!”

Chris looked at Darren with a look of confused amusement. “When did that start?”  
  
“Well Christopher, that is between Hannah and I,” Darren said with a wink.

“Okay,” Chris said with a smile.

* * *

Before they knew it, the sun began to set, and the crowds slowly diminished.

“Do you want to head back?” Darren asked.

“If you want to.”

“Well, if I may have one final request for the evening before we leave.”

“Which is?” Chris said, already aware of the answer.

“The Ferris wheel.”

* * *

Chris’ stomach lurched when their cart did, right at the top. They were one of the few passengers, so the attendant made sure to give everyone a few minutes at the maximum height.

Chris noticed Darren put his arm around his shoulders, and said, “You know you’re not as smooth as you think.”

Darren feigned shock and said, “I’m wounded, Chris.”

Chris put his hand under Darren’s chin, pulling his mouth closer, “Sorry,” he whispered, just before giving him a soft kiss. Darren moved the arm that was around Chris‘ shoulder down to Chris’ waist and used it to pull Chris closer. That caused the carriage to rock a little bit, scaring the two of them.

“We’re fine,” Chris assured both himself and Darren. He went back to his previous task of kissing Darren, giving equal attention to his upper lip and then the lower one.

Darren sighed happily in between kisses, and they were hardly aware that the Ferris wheel began moving. It was only until the very last jerk before they had to walk off did they break apart from their kisses.

Chris offered Darren his hand to help him off the ride. Chris hoped his cheek and lips didn’t look as sensitive as they felt, still tingling with the feeling of Darren’s mouth on his. They’d been together almost two years, yet Darren still knew how to make him fall to bits and make him whole again.

* * *

They found Chris’ family about ten minutes after trying to coordinate with them over the phone. They discussed the day’s events on the walk back to the hotel, with Darren thanking the Colfers for this incredible trip.

Darren took the second turn in the shower as a Chris flipped through the television channels while also towel-drying his hair.

He was in the middle of planning exactly what to do to Darren once he’d exited the bathroom, with half a mind to execute his plan while Darren was still in there.

But Chris had thought too soon because he got a call on the hotel room’s phone not a moment later.

“Hello?”

“Chris? Are you two still awake?”

“Yeah mom, is everything alright?

“Yes. Hannah’s doing fine, but she insists on spending the night in your room. She thinks the two of you are planning to stay up all night and doesn’t want to be excluded.”

‘ _Well, she wasn’t too far off._ ’ Chris thought to himself.

“Um…Sure, mom. She can stay with us if she’d like. Do you want me to walk over?”

“Oh no, I’ll bring her over. Thank you, sweetheart.”

“It’s fine, mom. See you.”

“Darren,” Chris said, knocking on the bathroom door. “You nearly done?”

“Almost,” Darren said. “Why? Do you wanna join me.”

Chris gulped at the suggestion, but then quickly said, “None of that. We have a guest joining us.”

Darren opened the bathroom door a little, letting some steam out. “Huh?”

“Hannah wants to stay in our room.”

“Awesome. Does that mean we’re sharing a bed?”

Chris shook his head, hoping that would mask his grin. How did he get so lucky?

“Yeah it does. In the most PG way possible.”

“Of course,” Darren smirked. “I’ll be out in a few. I brought some M n’ M’s from one of the stands. Give Hannah some when she gets in here, they’re in my bag.”

“Dare?” Chris said, stopping the bathroom door from closing fully.

“Yeah?”

“Come here,” Chris said, motioning for Darren to poke his head out a little more. Darren listened, earning a kiss from his boyfriend.

Darren beamed in return and said “I said to give me a minute, Romeo. Then you can have your way with me.”


	10. Word Prompt: Lake or Beach

Both Darren and Chris thought adjusting to college life would be easy. And they couldn’t have been more wrong.

Moving away from his family was the hardest thing Chris ever thought he’d have to do.

But he was thankful to take a little piece of home along with him. That little piece being Darren, who had helped him move into Concordia’s dorms after Chris helped him unpack his things.

Staying on separate campuses was the farthest they’d lived from each other for a long time.

University education was definitely tougher than their high school curriculum, and it was a few months before Chris settled into the pace expected of him. Darren found it a little easier, but he gave Chris space and the time he needed.

Darren had always understood him.

Perhaps the greatest thing they discovered in their first year, besides the wonders of caffeine were their friends. Joey was Darren’s roommate, and Reneé was in Chris’ creative writing class.

It was a pure coincidence that she and Joey knew each other, and Chris and Darren found themselves in a group of about ten wonderful people. Darren mentioned that certain personalities click, and it wasn’t much of a surprise that he and Chris befriended the people they did.

And for their first week of summer, before they went home, Reneé invited them to her family’s lake house.  

* * *

“Holy shit. So you and Chris have been together for like fifteen years?” Joey asked from the driver’s seat, using the rearview mirror to talk to Chris.

“No, Joey. We were not dating at the age of four. That’s when we met.” Chris said, glancing at Darren, who was seated next to him.

“Right, right,” Joey said nodding his head. “But it’s pretty fucking cool that you met as kids, and are still together.”

“Yeah,” Chris said smiling.

* * *

“Reneé, this place is gorgeous,” Darren said, taking out his and Chris’ bags.

“Thanks, Darren. My family used to come here almost every summer before my parents split up.” Reneé said casually.

Darren’s eyes immediately widened and he began to apologize, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“I’m glad they did what they did, you know? Some people just aren’t meant to be.”

Darren nodded solemnly and followed the rest of his friends inside.

* * *

“Lauren said she’d pick up Dylan and they both would make it here by nightfall,” Darren told the others while he put away his cell phone. “Where’d Chris go?”

“He’s upstairs,” Joey answered. “I think he said something about giving his parents a call.”

Darren hummed in response.

“Hey, Darren? Can you give me a hand with this stuff?” Reneé questioned, pointing to the grocery bags of food and the cooler full of drinks. Darren had made sure to get a case of Diet Cokes for his boyfriend.

“By the way, when can we go swimming?” Joey asked.

“You can go right now if you want to, but there won’t be much time. After sunset, this place drops to about 55.” Reneé answered.

“It’s June!” Joey exclaimed.

“It’s Michigan,” Reneé smirked.

Darren laughed in response. He really liked Michigan. Not as much as San Francisco, that was  his home. It was where he was raised and where he fell in love.

But there was something about where he lived now, that he knew would be a part of him for a long time. And he couldn’t wait to figure out what that was.

* * *

“Hey, Dare, where’d you keep that big blue blanket?” Chris said, looking around for the large piece of cloth.

“Um, Chris. It’s right there.” Darren said, waving his hand towards the bed.

“Oh?” Chris replied, bowing and shaking his head. “How’d I miss that?”

“Everything okay?” Darren said, bending his neck to look Chris in the eye.

When Chris didn’t reply immediately, Darren shut the door to their assigned bedroom, and took Chris’ hands in his own and led him so they both could sit on the edge of the bed.

“Babe?” Darren asked.

“Hannah. She hasn’t been feeling well, and my mom and dad keep saying she’s fine. But I’m so far from home, and I feel so guilty.”

“Come here,” Darren said, encasing Chris in a hug. “She’s gonna be fine. And if you want we can get on the next flight back home tonight. Just say so.”

Chris sniffled when they pulled apart and said, “No, no. I’m just being dumb.”

“You are not. It’s not easy being so far from them. I know. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and expect to smell my mom’s cooking.”

Chris smiled, knowing exactly what Darren was talking about. Sleepovers at the Criss’ always came with an amazing breakfast. Darren hated talking about things that made him sad, he’d always just gloss over his own worries and focus on helping others. But Chris had learned to read Darren.

During their first week away from home, he’d tried his best to emulate one of Cerina’s dishes. It wasn’t an easy task, but he tried. When Darren saw his efforts, Chris received quite a passionate kiss from him, and a few other things…

“But I have you,” Darren added. “And I’m grateful for that.”

“So am I,” Chris said, giving Darren a small kiss. “I love you so much, you know that.”

“I love you, too,” Darren grinned. “So everything okay? Do you want some more time, or…”

“I’m good. Really.”

“Good. We’re making smo’res,” Darren said, opening the door for Chris.

* * *

“Anyone know any good horror stories?” Lauren asked, roasting another marshmallow for herself.

“Why?” Chris asked, huddled under the blanket he and Darren were sharing.

“Campfire tradition,” Dylan answered.

“I guess I could start with one,” Joey began. “So there used to be two girls at the U-Mich campus. Jenny and Lillith. Jenny needed to pull an all-nighter before her finals.”

“Oh fuck,” Chris silently swore under the blanket. He tried to block out the story, knowing if he heard it he wouldn’t get much sleep tonight.

“Jenny realized she’d forgotten her book, so she went back to her dorm to get it. But she didn’t want to disturb Lillith, who usually went to bed earlier.”

“But then she walked in on Lillith having a threesome,” Darren murmured in Chris’ ear just loud enough so that Chris didn’t hear the next part of Joey’s horror story.

“And on the wall, written in blood were the words…” Joey began, but just in time Chris managed to whisper to Darren, “The chamber of secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware.”

To which Darren had no other choice, but to let out a chuckle.

“Well that’s a first,” Joey said, with a look of confusion on his face. “I usually get ‘what-the-fucks’ and ‘shut-ups’, but I guess this story’s just losing its charm.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry,” Darren said. “Chris and I hate horror stories, we always have. So we try to comfort each other through them.”

“Ahh, I get it…” Lauren said, nodding. “Mutual hand-jobs, right?”

Chris nearly spit his smo’re out, “What! No. We make the story funny.”

“Oh…” Lauren said, as the rest of them burst out laughing. “Good because that would mean Darren giggles in bed, and that would totally kill the super-sexy vibe you two have going on.”

Darren did laugh in bed, they both did. Chris remembered Darren making jokes during their first time, just to make Chris more comfortable. Chris had giggled at one pun so terribly that they had to pause so he could calm down.

But that was just between the two of them, and Chris was planning to keep it that way. So Chris simply ducked his head, but smiled regardless, especially when he felt Darren shift a little closer.

* * *

“Did Reneé say something to you?”

“What?” Darren asked after spitting out the mouthwash into the sink of their en-suite bathroom. “I don’t think so?”

“She was worried that she may have seemed a little snappy when talking about her parents,” Chris explained.

“Oh,” Darren said, recalling what she’d said to him when he’d appreciated the house. “No, I didn’t mind.”

“She said she’d talk to you tomorrow, just to clear things up. In case.” Chris said, pulling away the sheets for Darren and himself.

Darren shook his head before laying his head on the pillow and facing Chris. “It’s fine,”

“Just talk to her tomorrow,”

“I will. Promise.”

“Thanks. G’night, Dare.” Chris murmured, giving Darren a small kiss on his nose.  
“Night.”

* * *

Reneé stopped him as the rest of their group set up the volleyball net outside.

“Hey, I’m not sure if Chris talked to you…”

“He did,” Darren interrupted her. “Really, it’s okay.”

“No…” she said, giving him a sad smile. “It’s not. When my parents split, I never really got over it. You just always think your parents are gonna be together forever, right? That they’re soulmates.”

Darren nodded, agreeing with her wholeheartedly.

“I was really cynical after their break-up. And when I met Chris, and you…the way you two are together. It really made me re-think a lot of things.”

Darren pursed his lips together, a little worried about what she might have to say.

“Your kids are gonna be very lucky. They’re gonna grow up knowing that their parents were always meant to be.”

Darren tried his hardest to hold in the wave of emotion that was about to wash over him.

“I’m so glad Chris found you in his class,” Darren said, pulling her in for a hug.


	11. Word Prompt: Outdoor Concert

 Chris took one final look over both his and Darren’s suitcases. Most of their furniture was packed as well. Chris realized how much he was going to miss this place.

This place being his and Darren’s apartment.

They’d found it and had been renting it from a sweet lady who lived on the floor above them, ever since they moved out of their dorms in their third year.

The place had rusty pipes, and one of their bathroom’s lock was broken but it was a place that he and Darren had called home for the past year. And now they were leaving.

Graduation was the previous month. Chris almost teared up when he saw that Darren’s parents were cheering as loud for him when he received his diploma. Chuck had attended as well, taking them all out for drinks later on in the evening to celebrate.

“Chris? All done?” Darren called from the kitchen, well their kitchenette, making sandwiches for their road trip back home. Their furniture was going to be loaded in a U-haul truck they’d rented.

“Yeah, I’m just…I’m just saying goodbye…” Chris said.

“Aww.” Darren said, entering the bedroom, and giving Chris a hug from behind, “I’m gonna miss this place too.”

“You’re just gonna miss all the uninterrupted sex we had here.”

Darren chuckled, “Not gonna lie, that was definitely an upgrade from the dorms,”

“Hmmm,” Chris agreed. “But now we’re going back.”

“To where it all began,” Darren said cheesily, earning an eye-roll from his boyfriend.

* * *

“Chris!” Hannah yelled excitedly, running to the driveway to give Chris a hug. Darren was still figuring out how to parallel park their large moving van. Their families decided to meet at the Colfer’s place for a welcome-home dinner.

Cerina and Bill arrived almost half an hour later, their car filled with casseroles and soft drinks.

Cerina pulled both Chris and Darren into a hug, exclaiming “I missed you both so much!”

“Mom, we saw you a few weeks ago.”

“Too long,” she insisted, finally letting go.

* * *

The families enjoyed their dinner in the Colfer’s yard, with their parents discussing a possible vacation, leaving the kids to watch over the house. Hannah and Darren were engaged in an animated conversation about her summer plans, counting each birthday party she planned to attend.

“Darren, when are you going to load your stuff into the garage? You know that you can’t keep it out all night.” Bill called over from where he was seated.

“I’ll do it tonight dad,” Darren swore.

They planned to live in Darren’s parent’s basement while they looked for apartments in L.A.

Both Chris and Darren came to the decision that they would try their luck there.

* * *

“Hey, Chuck. I heard you guys were playing at the festival tomorrow.” Darren mentioned as they grabbed the last of the suitcases from the van later that night.

“Yeah. Tickets are like ten bucks if you guys wanna come.” Chuck replied.

“Definitely,” Chris smiled.

“I’d ask you to join us on drums, but the band’s got this set planned and…” Chuck said quietly to his brother, as they entered the house and walked toward the basement.

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m just gonna enjoy the music.” Darren said, heading down the stairs.

“Okay. Well, I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Goodnight.” Chuck said, setting the suitcase next to the mattress and walking back upstairs.

“Um, Dare?”

“Yeah?” Darren said, laying down on the air mattress.

“Can you drop me home?”

“Huh?” Darren asked confusedly.

“My parents didn’t say anything, but I could tell they wanted me to spend the night there.”

“Oh. Of course. Yeah.” Darren said, double checking his pant pocket for his keys. “Will they be up?”

“I think so. If not, I know where they keep the spare.”

* * *

After dropping Chris off, Darren couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness coming over him. He racked his brain to remember if he’d done anything wrong recently. They’d had their fair share of arguments over the course of their relationship. One of their biggest occurred almost a week after moving in together.

Something about spoiled milk and Darren recalled wanting to storm out, but after thinking it through he’d decided against it. Neither of them could fall asleep that night. They apologized to each other over ice-cream at 2AM on their living room floor.

Chris had then come up with a rule, that they never go to sleep angry at the other. Regardless of the circumstances, or the issue, they had to try and follow that simple rule. So far, it had worked out for them pretty well.

Based on that promise to one another, Darren tried to get those negative thoughts out of his head and focused on the drive home.

* * *

Darren picked Chris the next morning up an hour before they headed to the venue where the concert would be held.

For some reason, he felt as though he’d been thrown back in time when he used to walk up the Colfer’s front porch to pick up Chris for their dates.

He rang the doorbell, and Chris answered. He’d changed so much over the years, yet the smile he had for Darren had always remained the same.

“Yes?” Chris asked with a flirtatious tone.

“Well, I’m here to ask a young man on a date,” Darren said confidently.

“A young man?”

“Yes. You see, I’m very much in love with him. And we’ve been living together for the past year. Last night, was the first time in a long time that we spent apart. And I didn’t like it. Not one bit.”

Chris grinned and gave Darren a small kiss. “Mom! Dad! I’m going to the fairgrounds.”

“Good luck, honey!” was Chris’ mother’s response.

* * *

“This place seemed so much bigger when we were younger,” Darren commented, linking his hands with Chris.

“Yeah,” Chris answered, nervously looking around. “Where’s Chuck gonna perform?”

“Freelance Whales is near the end. Come on, let’s share some cotton candy, for old time’s sake.” Darren said, directing Chris to one of the nearby stands.

“What color would you like?” the lady behind the spinning machine asked.

“Blue,” Darren said, looking at Chris.

“Pink,” Chris said at the same time, thinking of what Darren would want.

“I’ll try to mix it up for you two,” she said, and within a few seconds handed them a large spiraled  puff of their delicacy.

Darren handed her the payment, and they made their way to a nearby bench to share their treat.

* * *

“You got some stuck to your chin,” Chris said, softly grabbing at the piece and pushing it off.

“Oh.” Darren said, and then looked at Chris and said, “You know what was my favorite thing to do after eating cotton candy?”

“What?” Chris asked, throwing the remaining paper stick into the trashcan. As he turned around, Darren captured his lips in a soft kiss.

When he pulled away, Darren smiled saying “Kissing you. Well. Kissing you is always my favorite thing to do, but everything’s better with cotton candy,”

* * *

Darren had always believed in his brother, and regardless of the fact that he now wanted to go into marketing, he loved that Chuck still gave time to their joint passion. Music. Chuck had always insisted that was the path Darren was meant for, but growing up, Chuck was his idol.

Chuck’s band had reached the end of their third song, but suddenly the music fell quiet and Darren wondered if they had a technical difficulty. He saw Chuck heading over to the mic, to probably announce that very thing.

“Hello, everyone. I’m sorry for the random break, but I received a request today, that I couldn’t deny.” Chuck’s voice echoed from the speakers. “The person who asked for this is someone I’ve known for a very long time. If you know this oldie, don’t be afraid to sing along.”

Darren wondered what Chuck was doing, he usually only took such requests when the band was playing at a smaller venue. Not something huge like this. The opening drum beats were familiar, and it was only when Darren heard the first few lyrics, did he recognize the song. ‘You’re Still the One.’

 _Looks like we made it_  
_Look how far we’ve come, my baby_  
_We mighta took the long way_  
_We knew we’d get there someday_

 _They said, “I bet they’ll never make it.”_  
_But just look at us holding on_  
_We’re still together, still going strong_

 _You’re still the one I run to_  
_The one that I belong to_  
_You’re still the one I want for life_  
_You’re still the one that I love_  
_The only one I dream of_  
_You’re still the one I kiss good night_

He turned to his side to give Chris a loving smile, but he wasn’t there. No, he was? He was—he was on one knee? With his hands stretched upward, and the biggest smile on his face that Darren had ever seen. Holding a — oh god.

Then Darren’s brain caught up with him. He was getting proposed to. Chris wasn’t saying anything, and Darren wouldn’t have been able to hear him in the midst of all that noise anyway.

But he could hear his exact words; _You’re my best friend. The only person in this entire world I’d trust with everything. You’ve always been there for me, and I know you always will. And although we’ve spent so much of our time together, do you wanna spend a little more?_

Darren wondered why Chris was waiting for an answer anyway. Did he think that Darren would be capable of refusing him of anything?

So he nodded. He kept nodding until Chris finished putting that ring on his finger, and pulling Darren into a kiss.

The people around them who had noticed what was going on congratulated them and cheered. Darren glanced at Chuck on stage, who kept singing but gave Darren a congratulatory wink.

As soon as the song was over, Darren looked over at Chris and asked, “How did you do that?”

“What? Propose?” Chris asked, a little amused.

“I live with you. I mean, we lived in a very tiny space together, and how did I not figure out any of this?”

“Well, I have my ways,” Chris winked.

Darren glanced at his new piece of jewelry. “Is this real?”

Chris had been saving up since freshman year of college, but he wanted to keep some money aside for what would happen after the proposal. So Chris responded nervously, “You mean like gold or something? Because I…”

“No,” Darren cut him off. “I mean like, is this actually happening.”

“You wanted this, right?” Chris asked, unable to control the wave of anxiety that always crossed his mind.

“More than anything. But this…” Darren looked around, “this was more than I could have ever imagined.”

Chris grinned with pride, linking his hands with Darren’s, and intertwining their fingers together, just so he could get the feel of the ring as well.


	12. Word Prompt: Camping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH! Here it is. The final chapter for the word prompt: ‘Camping’. I hope all of those who read this had fun, I know I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. A huge thanks to the ladies at the KSC for basically letting me use the same prompts but for Crisscolfer. I guess now I have two multi-chapter fics thanks to this challenge.

Darren rushed up into his bathroom to double check if he’d missed packing anything. Chris was not going to be happy if Darren forgot yet another important item on their way to the campsite.

Their campsite being their backyard.

They had a fairly large backyard, which Darren personally tended to. Chris took care of cleaning the pool and the fire pit.

“Dare? Can you also get the bug spray from the medicine cabinet!” Darren heard Chris calling from outside their house.

Darren yelled back a ‘sure’, before searching through the shelves to find the small green spray.

He walked down the stairs and checked over the kitchen one last time. This kitchen was larger than their last one. Much larger. The entire house was. With a few bedrooms upstairs, a private office for Chris, and a music room for his own luxury.

They could afford this thanks to a few lucky opportunities that had presented themselves to the two of them. They’d bought this house together almost four years ago.

Darren smiled proudly to himself, as he closed the back door. He saw Chris setting up the cooler that contained their food for the night. He walked up behind him as quietly as he could, reaching his arms out to grab him by the waist.

“Don’t even think about it,” Chris said, and Darren could almost see the smirk on his face. Well, what did he expect? He’d been married to the man for nearly seven years now, and Chris knew his every move.

Darren slumped his hands dramatically by his side when his husband turned around to face him, still sporting that sly grin. Darren took that moment to try to kiss that coy smile right off. And it worked. Darren supposed he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

They broke apart only when Darren felt a small tug on his right calf.

“Poppa!”

“Come here!” Darren smiled, lifting his son into the air. Nicholas, their three year old squealed with joy while Darren tickled his ribs. Darren stopped after a few moments so his kid could calm down. “Ready to go camping?”

“Yes!” Nicholas said, excitedly running into the tent that he and Chris had set up earlier that morning.

“Well, I’m glad to see this plan worked out,” Darren said quietly.

Neither he nor Chris really liked camping. But their son suddenly did, probably because someone at Nicholas’ playdates had bragged about camping, and put the idea in his head.

Darren had promised him a camping trip after Nicholas had used his secret weapon against him. Darren knew exactly where the little guy had gotten it from. The pout, and the tears threatening to spill out of those almost identical blue eyes. Darren wasn’t able to stop himself.

Chris had been the one who came up with the idea of going camping in their backyard.

“It’s a trial,” Chris had said. “We’ll see if he likes it, and if not then we’ll be done with this discussion for at least a couple of years,”

They decided to make their backyard camping experience as realistic as possible, packing the day before and buying a tent. However, both he and Chris had decided that they’d all have to go back inside to use the toilet. That’s where they drew the line.

* * *

“What do you wanna do now buddy?” Chris said, drying his son off with a towel yet again, after he swore he was done swimming.

Nicholas gave him a cheeky smile, one which Chris knew he’d learned from Darren, and excitedly said, “Shwimmin’!”

Chris grabbed his son before he could make another dive into the pool. That was one of the first things they did, teach their son swimming. And Nicholas was pretty good at it, too. Of course, he and Darren thought he was the greatest at everything. Chris remembered Darren’s reaction after Nicholas had finally been toilet trained.

“Our kid’s a genius!” Darren had said with pride. Chris couldn’t disagree, their son was without a doubt, their greatest achievement in life.

* * *

Dinner was hot dogs. Already pre-cooked by Darren the night before, only to be re-heated on the grill above the fire-pit. Chris turned on the electric lantern inside the tent, their son helped arrange the seating bags as Darren extinguished the fire.

Darren settled into his own sleeping bag, propped up on one arm as Nicholas’ back lay against his chest, slowly falling asleep as Chris read him his bedtime story.

As soon as they heard soft snores coming from their boy, Chris put the book away and tucked him to the best of his ability into his sleeping bag. He then joined Darren on the other side of the tent, into the larger one they’d bought for themselves, huddling in close together.

“This is nice,” Chris said, intertwining his legs with Darren’s underneath the cover.  

“Mhhmmm…” Darren said, wiggling closer to Chris in the already limited space they had.

“No funny business, Dare.” Chris reminded his husband, with a smile.

“Aw, not even a good-night kiss.”

Chris huffed a small laugh, giving Darren a small peck, which he desperately wanted to take further, but knew this wasn’t the time or place. They’d tried their best not to scar their child early in life, and they weren’t about to start now.

Chris tried to go to sleep in the midst of unfamiliar sounds and smells, shifting to find the most comfortable place for himself. Then Darren turned onto his back, and Chris laid his head in the crook between Darren’s neck and shoulder and that was all he needed to fall asleep.

* * *

“Daddy…Wake up…” Chris felt small hands tapping his face, in an attempt to bring him out of his restful state.

“Wha-? What’s wrong, sweetheart.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Oh. Okay, I’m getting up.” Chris softly patted Darren’s chest, Darren turned over and gave Chris a small smile, and Chris knew exactly what his husband was proposing.

So Chris gave his son the ‘ _super secret signal_ ’ and they both took their positions. A moment later, Darren ‘ _woke up_ ’ laughing because of the relentless tickling.

“Okay, okay. I’m up!” Darren said, taking in a deep breath.

“I’m hungry, Poppa.” Nicholas repeated.

“Well. We have some fruits in the cooler. Do you want an apple? Or some grapes?”

“I want waffles.”

“Well, we didn’t bring any waffles out here,” Chris said, stretching the muscles in his shoulders and neck.

“Can’t we go inside?” Nicholas asked.

“We’d have to end the camping trip. And pack up all the things.” Darren said.

Nicholas thought for a moment, and said, “Okay.”

“I guess waffles beats camping. Who knew?” Chris said quietly, after instructing their son to roll up his own sleeping bag.

* * *

Darren kept their camping equipment in the garage, hoping they wouldn’t have to use it again anytime soon. He walked back inside to find Chris seated in front of the laptop, with their freshly bathed toddler on his lap.

Darren heard his mom’s voice over the laptop speakers.

“Oh! And then what did you do?”

“I drew on the road with the chalks Poppa got me.”

“The road?” Cerina asked, confused.

“The driveway,” Chris corrected easing his mother-in-law’s fears.

“Hey, mom,” Darren said, walking into the webcam’s frame.

“My baby! How are you?”

“I’m good, mom. How’s—“ Darren began but was interrupted by his son’s uncontrollable laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Chris asked, smiling.

“Gramma’ called Poppa a baby,” Nicholas said, in between his laughs.

Cerina then responded, “That’s because he’s my baby. Just like you are your Daddy and Papa’s baby.”

Nicholas started thinking about that, and then realized she was right. “Oh.”

As Darren continued talking to his mother, Chris took that moment to absorb just how long it had been. It was weird, he’d have these flashbacks sometimes of the man in front of him. He supposed that’s what happened when you were with someone for so long.

If he’d ask his own brain to picture Darren, a very recent image of him would form. Curls that were tame compared to their appearance in college, a lean body and face thanks to dedicated hours of working out, the crinkles by his eyes were a little more pronounced.

But sometimes that image changed back into when they were growing up. His curls always looked soft from afar, his face was undoubtedly chubbier as a kid, and Chris remembered how Darren had come back one summer looking completely different. His eyes, however, still had that same glow. And his smile. Chris had never seen that smile falter when Darren looked at him.

* * *

The rest of their day included Darren and Nicholas spending some time on the piano while Chris worked in the office. He had a deadline at the end of this week and needed a little time to himself.

After watching a film, Nicholas fell asleep relatively early, probably exhausted from the previous day’s activities. Darren carried him to his room, and Chris gave him a small kiss on his forehead before walking to the room.

Darren looked at his son once more, sending out a silent prayer of thanks to whatever power granted him such a blessed life.

Nicholas’ night-light illuminated the room enough for Darren to catch a glimpse of his son’s toy shelf, at the corner of which was a slightly worn out, blue power ranger action figure.


End file.
